A familiar feeling for many a motorist is the sight of an unidentified dashboard light (UDL) popping up while they’re driving. And, according to recent statistics from a survey by ATS Euromaster, 16 per cent of Brits even ignore these warning lights.
Sam Sheehan, motoring editor at leading online car marketplace cinch, explained: “It can be a real concern when a light appears on your car dashboard, especially when you don’t know what it means. They aren’t there to panic you, though. It’s just a warning about a potential issue with your motor that you need to get checked out.”
So the experts have put together this handy guide of 10 lights you shouldn’t ignore, to help you when you’re next faced with such a situation…
Red dashboard lights
A red dashboard warning light means that there’s a serious and potentially dangerous problem with your car. If one of these flashes up, pull over as soon as it’s safe and investigate the issue or speak to a mechanic or breakdown service.
1. Airbag warning light
2. Brake system warning light
3. Engine temperature warning light
4. Oil pressure warning light
5. Battery warning light
1. Airbag warning light
What does it look like: A person sitting down with their seatbelt on and balancing a large ball on their lap.
What does it mean: Also known as the supplement restraint system (SRS) warning light, it means that one of more of your car’s airbags has a problem. It could be an issue with the sensor or connector, or an issue with the airbag itself.
Either way, you need to get it sorted as soon as you can – airbags are so important for the safety of everyone in the car.
2. Brake system warning light
What does it look like: An exclamation mark inside a circle, bordered by a pair of brackets.
What does it mean: You’ll see this light when you’re at a stop and the handbrake is on, but if it’s still on when you’re moving (and the handbrake is fully off), it could be a bigger issue. If it stays on, there might be a problem with your brake system, such as worn brake discs or pads, or a brake fluid leak.
Like the airbag light, this is important to resolve as soon as you can because brakes are a massive safety factor on the roads – for you and other road users.
3. Engine temperature warning light
What does it look like: A thermometer standing upright with some wavy lines (used to represent water).
What does it mean: This could be a sign of something simple like low coolant or your engine overheating. You can check by stopping safely, checking your coolant level and waiting to see if the light goes off.
Be very careful if you add coolant to your engine while it’s still hot, though. It’s best to do this when the engine is cold.
If the light stays on, it could mean there’s a more serious issue with your vehicle and continuing to drive could cause permanent damage. A leaking or blocked cooling system, or a head gasket failure, could cause the engine temperature warning light to come on.
4. Oil pressure warning light
What does it look like: A bit like a genie’s lamp with a droplet of oil coming out of its spout.
What does it mean: This shows your engine has either low or no oil pressure, so pull into a petrol station or garage and check the oil level as soon as you can. Your vehicle handbook will tell you how to perform the check, as well as how to top up your oil.
If the refill doesn’t turn off the warning light, there may be an issue with the oil filter or oil pump. Ignoring this warning light can cause serious damage to your car’s engine, so it’s worth getting it checked by a mechanic as soon as you can.
5. Battery warning light
What does it look like: A rectangular battery, usually with plus and minus signs.
What does it mean: The battery warning light means your car’s battery is out of charge or no longer charging up. The fault can be caused by issues with the wiring, the alternator or the entire battery.
It’s usually best to get a mechanic to help with this because your car won’t start, and the electrics (including headlights) won’t work when the battery’s dead.
Amber dashboard lights
While not as urgent as red icons, an amber dashboard light tells you that something isn’t working correctly. So, you might not need to pull over right away, but you should check them out sooner rather than later.
6. ABS warning light
7. Brake pad monitoring light
8. Engine management light
9. Low fuel level light
10. ESP system light
6. ABS warning light
What does it look like: The acronym ABS inside a circle bordered by a pair of brackets.
What does it mean: The anti-lock braking system (ABS) is designed to prevent your vehicle’s wheels from locking up when braking heavily. If this light flashes up, there could be a problem with the ABS.
It’s usually safe to complete your journey, just take extra care and leave more space than usual because your brakes might not be effective as normal. The ABS light can sometimes show with the red brake system warning light we mentioned earlier – if it does, you should pull over safely and get some roadside assistance.
7. Brake pad monitoring light
What does it look like: A circle that’s surrounded by three rounded dashes on either side.
What does it mean: The brake pad monitoring light will show up if your brake pads are worn too thin and need replacing. It can also sometimes show if there’s an issue with your brake discs that needs checking out.
If you see this light pop up, get your brakes serviced (and replaced if necessary) as soon as you can to avoid driving with dangerously low stopping power.
8. Engine management light
What does it look like: A simplified design of a car engine.
What does it mean: The engine management light shows every time the vehicle’s ignition is switched on, but it should turn off once the engine is running. If it remains lit and there’s no loss of power to your car, you can still drive it, but you should get it checked out by a mechanic when you can.
Sometimes, your engine will go into ‘self-protect’ mode when this light shows, which means the revs are limited to prevent any damage. If the engine management light is flashing, you should pull over safely and get some roadside assistance. This is usually a sign of a more serious fault.
9. Low fuel level light
What does it look like: A petrol station pump, or a rectangle with a window cut out and a pipe coming off one side.
What does it mean: It’s time to fill up your car’s fuel when the low fuel level light appears. You may have a range of between 20 and 100 miles of fuel left before it completely runs out, but it’s best not to chance fate and get to a petrol station pronto.
10. ESP system light
What does it look like: A car with a pair of wavy lines behind/underneath it.
What does it mean: Also referred to as traction control, your car’s electronic stability programme (ESP) system light can come on for three reasons:
- When the traction control is currently preventing wheelspin. No checks needed, just take extra care as the road may be slippery.
- If you’ve switched off your car’s traction control, the light will flash as a reminder that the system isn’t active. Again, no breakdown assistance is required here.
- If it flashed under normal driving, you should get it checked out by a mechanic because there could be an issue with the system.
You should now know what to do if one of these 10 dashboard lights comes on while you’re driving. If a dashboard light does come on, don’t panic. Pull over as soon as it’s safe to do so and consult your vehicle handbook to see how serious the issue is.
Drive safely and with extra care until you can reach a garage if you’re able to, or call for breakdown assistance if it’s dangerous to keep driving. Also, keep on top of your car servicing and MOTs, as they can help avoid warning lights from making an appearance.